Thank you to @netgalley @macmillan.audio and @gigipandian for this audio ARC.

The Library Game is the fourth book in A Secret Staircase Novel series. While the books can be standalone, I could definitely tell I was missing back story pieces that were referenced but not explained. I'll likely go back and read the other books.
Tempest Raj and her crew of family and friends are trying to solve a murder that happened right under their noses.

A cute cozy mystery with a fun library theme.

First, I must confess this is the 4th book in the series but the first I have read. I think that might have put me at a disadvantage as I tried to keep all the characters and their relationships straight. In retrospect, I should have read the other three to start at the beginning.

So this starts off with a dead body in a house that’s being converted into a niche library containing classic mystery books. The dead man was a member of the small cast that was rehearsing for a dinner theater performance that was to be given during the town’s summer stroll event and held at the house. The amateur sleuths set to solve the crime are associated with the company engaged to do the conversion. Tempest, Ivy, Sanjay, Gideon, and others (including the requisite pet — a rabbit) try to track down the killer. It’s mainly a locked room scenario with the killer having to be someone in their intimate circle of friends and acquaintances.

This was a mix of Nancy Drew and Scooby-Doo with the hook being the concept of secret staircases, hidden rooms, and libraries. Bibliophiles will enjoy all the literary references. I’ll likely go back at some point to check out the first book in the series just for fun.

I listened to the audio book while also following along in the ebook ARC, both provided by the publishers. I enjoyed the narrator as she used a variety of voices and accents to portray the characters. It always enhances a book when I can have this experience.

I had the privilege to listen to the audio version of Library Game. The reader Soneela Nankani is great. She does a great job of reading at an appropriate pace, so I can keep up with the story. She adds inflections thoughtfully. I also appreciated how she changed her voice for male characters. Overall, I would listen to her again.


I read this book thinking it was a single novel and as soon as I started it I realized it was part of a series. This is the fourth book in the series. I would say coming in without any knowledge of the previous books I felt like I was able to catch up with everything pretty quickly. The author does a great job of reminding you of what happened in the previous books. I hope to read the previous books this year.

The story was good too. The author writes a well thought out mystery and there was a few other mysteries going on as well. I like how there were multiple stories going on. I wasn't expected the end and may need to reread once I start the series from the beginning now that I know how it ended. I want to see what I missed. Overall. I am glad I found this series.

I really enjoyed this book. The narrator was great and expressive and the story was funny and exciting. I loved the murder mystery vibe and the humor mixed in to the scary. The book went by way too quick, I wish there was more and the story continued to explore the character. Definitely not my typical genre of book but I enjoyed it none the less

The Gray House Library has been newly renovated and is about to host a murder mystery dinner party and open a literary themed escape room. At the dress rehearsal for the murder mystery dinner, one of the actors dies and then the body vanishes. Tempest and her friends try to figure out what happened in this cozy mystery.

I didn't realize this was the fourth in a series when I picked it up, but it was relatively fine to read as a standalone. I liked the cozy vibes and the characters, especially Tempest's family, but overall the mystery element fell a bit flat. I did like the magician and literary themes throughout the book.

The audiobook was super well done, especially with the different accents. A solid quick listen.

Tropes:
* Amateur Detective
* Escape Room
* Locked Door
* Disappearing Body
* Twists and Turns
* Murder Mystery

3 stars

This is my very first Advance Reader Copy from Net Galley, and I had the chance to finish A Midnight Puzzle! If you love Agatha Christie, escape rooms, and murder mystery dinner parties, this book is definitely for you. I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook—it kept me guessing until the very end. Just when you think you’ve figured it out, think again! If you've read other books and series by Gigi Pandian, this is definitely an addition to those!

The Library Game is book 4 in the Secret Staircase Mystery series. I didn't realize that when I picked it up so I haven't read any of the other books in the series. There is some background provided but I think it was okay to read this book out of order.

It was a fun read. It is a little quirkier than most cozy mystery novels that I read. The characters are more quirky than you would find in real life but it wasn't so over the top that it was annoying. You know that what you are reading is fiction. In some ways, it made me think of all the holiday small-town movies.

I listened to the audiobook and it was easy to follow the story. Soneela Nankani does a great job giving the characters individual voices. I didn't have any trouble keeping the characters straight.

The mystery was good. I read a lot of cozy mysteries and often the plots feel similar - I mean how many different ways can you really kill someone. But this one felt unique - maybe it is because it involved magicians I don't think I've read any other cozy mysteries with magicians.

If you are looking for a fun book to listen to while getting household chores done, this is the book for you.

My review is published at Girl Who Reads - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2025/03/can-you-solve-these-murder-mysteries.html

I listened to The Library Game by Gigi Pandian. This is the fourth book in the Secret Staircase Mysteries series, and it’s got all the ingredients for a fun, cozy mystery—secret passages, a disappearing body, and a murder mystery dinner that turns all too real. My son jumped in on listening to this audiobook with me. We were super invested in the murder mystery, escape room vibes in this room. My one thought is - could it have been a few chapters shorter. At the 60% point, I was ready for the murder mystery to be solved. The narration was great. Overall, The Library Game is perfect for fans of cozy mysteries and classic detective fictions. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this audio arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Tempest and crew are working on a new project with Secret Staircase Construction. This is a project dear to their hearts- a library!!! Tempest, Sanjay, Gideon and Ivy have taken it to the next step, they are doing an escape room for the Summer Stroll event in town. One of the actors ends up dead and Sanjay seems like the perfect culprit.

This was a great locked room mystery. I listened to the audio also and it was great. The narrator was fabulous. The descriptions were great and I was secretly coveting the sliding bookcases and endless books! This was the 4th in the book. The characters are coming along nicely. Grandpa Raj is always one of my favorites. I would love to be on the receiving end of one of his delectable creations.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC or this book.

This time Secret Staircase Construction has been renovating a home to turn it into a library full of detective stories. While preparing to host a murder mystery dinner and escape room to promote the new library, one of the actors appears dead midscene, only for the body to disappear shortly thereafter. It’s another locked room mystery for Tempest and the Abracadabras to solve.

It’s always fun to escape into these novels filled with magicians, misdirection, and plenty of nods to classic mysteries and detective fiction. I wasn’t sure how things would go with the large overarching series mystery already having been solved in book 3 but am happy to report that I still enjoyed my time with Tempest, her family, and friends.

As in the other books, the romantic in me loved the glimpses at potential romances for Tempest and the food descriptions had me salivating. I plan to try out the recipe for Blackberry Crumble Cobbler included in the book very soon.

The Secret Staircase Mysteries is such a lovely, cozy mystery series, and I look forward to reading what’s next for Tempest and her crew.

I enjoyed Soneela Nankani’s audiobook narration. Her vocal choices and accents make it easy to keep track of which character is speaking and she captures the tone, moods, and humor of the book well.

I received an advance copy from Macmillan Audio. All review opinions are my own.

These books are fun, but this one was maybe a bit confusing. There is a repetitive aspect to the crime and a lot of red herrings, but it all adds to the atmosphere in a good way. The characters are maturing a bit as well

Tempest’s family construction company takes on a dream project: transforming a house into a detective-themed library. When a murder occurs during a pre-opening event, Tempest must solve the crime before it impacts the library’s launch—and before someone else falls victim.

This book is a puzzle in novel format. The murder mystery is too elaborate to be believable, but it’s fun if that’s what you’re looking for. There’s not much of an emotional journey for the characters, who seem pretty interchangeable. I enjoyed the audiobook narration.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to “The Library Game” by Gigi Pandian. This cozy mystery was engaging from start to finish, with a plot twist that caught me off guard. The narrator, Soneela Nankani, did an excellent job of bringing the diverse cast of characters to life with distinct voices, making the audiobook experience even more enjoyable. The blend of mystery, whimsy, and cultural elements made for a delightful listen. I highly recommend it to fans of cozy mysteries.

Book 044 of 350 ~ 2025

🌟🌟🌟🌟

One star because it features libraries and Librarians.

It started off fun (great narrator btw), felt like it plateaued for a bit in the middle then picked right back up towards the third end of the book.

First one from the series that I read/listened and that's due to its title.

One or split into two sitting kinda read.

I received a complimentary copy of both the ebook and the audiobook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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The Library Game is a delightful mystery packed with secret passages, literary puzzles, and Pandian’s signature charm. The plot keeps you guessing, and the setting is pure book-lover’s paradise. A few moments felt a bit rushed, but overall, a fun, clever read. Perfect for mystery fans!

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ARC of this book!

I didn't realize going in that this was the fourth book in a cozy mystery series, but the author did a good job of introducing characters and the setting, so I didn’t feel lost even though I’d never read the first three books. I really wanted to like the book, but I felt like it did a lot more telling than showing, so I’m only giving it 2.5 stars.

I liked that the main character, Tempest Raj, is a tough South Asian female sleuth, and her family and group of friends were really diverse. The narrator did a great job with all of the voices and I didn't have trouble determining who was speaking on the rare occasion it wasn't specifically stated. What I didn’t like is that I felt that the story belabored that point and took every opportunity to remind us of their ethnicities even when it didn’t add anything to the scene. Once or twice in the beginning is enough to get a mental image of the characters and then move on. I also really like that Tempest’s family’s construction business specializes in secret staircases and hidden home features. That’s cool and played well with the storyline of this book set in a home-turned-library. But I felt the story was fed to us step by step instead of giving us clues to allow us to try to figure out whodunnit for ourselves.

It was an easy enough read (well, listen, in my case) but I wasn’t particularly excited to turn it on and hear what happened next. Sadly, this is not a series I will be picking up.

ANOTHER FANTASTIC LOCKED ROOM MYSTERY WITH THE GANG WE'VE COME TO LOVE!
Once again Gigi has given us a locked room mystery that's impossible to figure out as she welcomes us to hang out with this great cast of characters and join them in figuring out who done it. As usual it is letter perfect and just the right length. The Narrater is also the perfect choice and the tango music at the beginning and end is so much fun! The only problem I have with this book is that there isn't another one ready to read right now! I loved this book and highly recommend it . It is a stand-alone that can be read right now, if you are new to the Secret Staircase mysteries. Thank you to the publisher for this ARC.

Thank you so Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook ARC of the Library Game!

So I didn’t know until I was part way through the book, that this is actually a series. It is easily read as a stand alone though! This is a cozy mystery if you want that bit of intrigue without the heaviness of some books.

First of all, I absolutely love the idea of a company doing home renovations that incorporate secret doorways, passages and more! It set this story up to feel mysterious from the start. Though that aspect didn’t necessarily play a huge role in the mystery, it was still fun having it there.

There are lots of characters to keep track of in this book and some of them I completely forgot existed for parts of the story. It made it kind of tricky to follow and remember who the people were when they showed up later.

That said, the narration for this book was fantastic. The amount of different characters were still kept unique even with the one voice. I thought she did a great job of showing a dynamic range of emotion throughout the story.

The mystery itself wasn’t overly complex but it almost felt simplistic. The motive felt weak to me, but I guess people do crazy stuff for less.

This is definitely a book worth reading if you like lighter mysteries. It’s fun and just the right amount of dangerous intrigue.

A fun bookish mystery with a magical twist! The Library Game is a delightful mix of mystery, magic, and literary fun. Turning a house into a detective-themed library is the perfect setting for an escape-room-style whodunit, and Gigi Pandian makes great use of secret passages and clever illusions. The impossible crime kept me guessing, and the book is packed with fun nods to classic mysteries. Some parts felt a little over the top, but that’s part of the charm. A must-read for fans of locked-room puzzles and bookish adventures!

Thank you Gigi Pandian, St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

I am of the firm opinion that publishers should go back to numbering series entries on the spine and make it clear in marketing blurbs that the book is part of a larger whole. That said, The Library Game is number 4 in Gigi Pandian's Secret Staircase series. Having not read entries 1-3, I was lost. The plot was easy enough to follow but cozies are as much about the repeat characters as anything else and I couldn't even keep who was who straight. Without the kind of affinity that gets built in over time, I couldn't care enough to truly engage. Beyond that, I think that this particular series might be more suited to a young adult audience. I imagine readers of the previous book in the series will enjoy this entry.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publishers for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.